Babymoon: San Diego Zoo 2016

||One day Michael turns to me & tells me I'm a vixen. Confused I asked him what he was talking about. All he said to me was "What? I'm a meerkat." Apparently Michael assigns animals to humans. This is his spirit animal.||

|| Michael asked the zookeeper all about this Hippo. He loves when they turn on the water & he gets to massage his gums! ||

||I found out this trip I have a thing for ducks. They are adorable! ||

Going to the San Diego Zoo was something I'll never forget. I absolutely love Zoo's. I know some people are majorly against them, but I find them intellectually stimulating. Michael spends his time running around & reading the plaques for every animal. You have to keep a close eye on him though because one minute he's standing next to you & the next he's across the exhibit talking to the zoo-keep asking all sorts of questions. One thing I picked up on about Michael pretty quick is that his brain has a knack for storing random facts that you will probably only be able to whip out once in your life. It's times like the Zoo when he pulls them out & I am always so fascinated by what he has to say. He definitely keeps me on my toes!
Since the Riding clan was with us this day, we skipped the usual plaque reading & enjoyed looking at the animals quickly as to keep up with the group. Also, it rained on us, so we hurried along our way. Each time we visit an animal park/zoo/sanctuary, I am so blown away by all of the different species of animals we have in this world. All are absolutely beautiful & serve a unique purpose. This is what keeps us coming back for more.

That night, we were going to go explore the Gas Lamp District, but it was raining & we were exhausted from the years worth of walking we had done that week, so we opted for a movie back at the condo. Honestly, as great as these adventures are, a movie & some snuggle time is just as good to me so I wasn't disappointed.

Also, the bump really started to make an appearance this trip! Hooray for this growing alien!

Babymoon: MCRD || USS Midway || Dinner CruiseI

||MCRD: Marine Corps Recruit Depot||

This picture needs it's own explanation. I think with everything we did the entire trip, showing me this base was Michael's favorite part & definitely the most memorable for both of us. This is where Marines go for the 1st & 3rd phases of boot camp. You show up, jump off a bus, & are immediately greeted by screaming Drill Instructors. (DI) Every time we drove/walked past a DI, I tensed up & immediately started sweating. Michael kept telling they could smell my fear which of course made me even more anxious, but I have so much respect for what they do. We drove the perimeter of base 4 times, parking in spots Michael wanted to tell me a story about. As we were making our last loop, we passed a platoon falling into formation. I'm not sure what happened but all of the sudden, the DI turned & walked the row of his recruits until reaching his victim. Then, the screaming began. I have always appreciated Michael's service, but never have I realized the extent of what he went through to earn the title of a United States Marine. I know I get overly patriotic when I talk about it, & I won't ever fully understand what Michael went through, but I sure have a new found respect for the man I married. He is truly the strongest man I've ever met & he is a hero. Our kids are lucky to have him.

The USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum is unreal. If you've never done it, make sure you add it to your list of things to do. We Americans take for granted the sacrifices of our service men & women. I always get nervous doing things like this, because Michael gets so inspired by these stories. He wants to be a part of it, Goodness me I'm so lucky to have him!

If you want romance, be sure to check out the Horn Blower Dinner Cruises. We decided to do the 3 hour dinner cruise around the San Diego Harbor. It was a 3 course meal accompanied by dim lighting, romantic music & a beautiful view of the city. While Michael was in the restroom, I requested the DJ play "The Ballad of Love and Hate" by the Avett Brothers which is kind of "our song." I'll never forget watching Michael stop talking mid-sentence once he noticed what song was playing. Yes, I may have gotten a little emotional, but I mean... What else is new? I'm so grateful for moments like this when we can slow down & just be us. Life happens so quickly it's rare we get moments like this one. I just love this man. 

Babymoon: Disneyland 2016

||Ezra's first visit!||

||We watched a girl take a million pictures in this position until she got the one she wanted. Turns out, the position was harder than it looked!||

||While waiting in line for the Monsters Inc. ride, a worker gave us this pass that allowed us to skip the entire line! We were PUMPED!||

||While we were on our Honeymoon, Michael put on these glasses & gave me this half smile I just couldn't help but laugh at! The tradition continues!||



||I was unable to go on Space Mountain but our friend Spencer told us they had changed the ride, so Michael went on it & told me what they updated! I can't wait to see all the changes for myself! Also, fat face because what else do you do in roller coaster pictures?|| 

||Left: Honeymoon 2012  Right: Babymoon 2016||

Not many people understand our NEED to have Disneyland in our lives. Being young & having Michael in college makes affording trips difficult, however, we have yet to skip an opportunity to go. This particular trip was special not only because Ezra was able to join us, (I felt him move for the first time on this trip! EEK!) but because we were able to have some of Michael's family come along! A few weeks before leaving, Michael's parents European vacation fell through & deciding to make the best of the situation, asked to come along! Michael's 2 youngest brothers had never been & although they are in high school & act too cool for school, you could tell they were just as giddy as our niece. It was important to Michael & myself to have some time to ourselves, so we did take a day to just walk around, take in the smells, eat a few to many churros, enjoy the shows & explore different aspects of Disneyland we normally wouldn't have. I will say being pregnant in Disneyland did limited the "thrilling" rides, and although I missed them, exploring outside our "norm" brought a new light to the Disney Magic.